In Honor of Those Who Served

Veteran Doug Voss talks about his time serving in Korea with Cody Stacy and and Ishgand Chauhan

Editor’s note: Schools across Kent County observed Veterans Day with a variety of events. Here is a sampling.

Aubrey Coleman’s mom let her borrow a patriotic scarf for the day, and Aubrey decided it would be a great way to greet veterans at the door

Byron Center

Boys Scouts brought up the flag; “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” was sung; red, white and blue were worn; and “thank you for serving” was heard everywhere at Countryside Elementary during its annual Veterans Day ceremonies. Principal Jolynne Dobson doesn’t think those words of gratitude are enough.

“I wish there was a better word in our vocabulary than thank-you,” she told the assembly. This was the seventh year the school had celebrated veterans with a special program.

“It’s our favorite assembly,” Dobson said. “We get to honor those in the military who served.”

Grandville Middle School student-council member Landon Hunt exhibited a photo of his grandfather, Louis Hunt, who served in Vietnam in 1964. “I didn’t know him; he died before I was born, but my dad has told me about his service,” Landon said

Grandville

The middle school student council, along with other students, shared photographs of their relatives in uniform: black-and-white, sepia, faded Polaroids and digital, showing service members next to war planes in Vietnam, in fighter jets skirting mountain ranges, with their children, and in newspaper clippings of those that died in battle.

It became real, textural, and emotional for the students as they studied the images of wartime from World War II to Afghanistan and Iraq.

“These photos really point to a specific moment in time. Like this one is from the Pacific, you can tell by the land and the palm trees,” said eighth-grader Jhace Metzger, student council vice-president.

As the student council adhered the images onto spangled scrapbooking paper and adorned them with stars and stripes, staff and fellow students paused at the display and vowed to go home and find their own photos of service members to post.

“It’s a simple yet meaningful way to add a rich layer of personal meaning to what they’ve learned in social studies classes throughout their school careers,” said Anne Waldie, assistant principal.

From left, junior Makayla Babson, a Student Council member, chats with veterans Kyle Herring, a 2006 East Kentwood graduate, and Alexxas Pruitt, a 2007 East Kentwood graduateChase Swartz and his grandpa, Richard Swartz, wait for the program to begin

Kentwood

Last year, East Kentwood High School student Ana Tran attended a West Michigan Armed Forces Thanksgiving event, which brought together veterans and students in downtown Grand Rapids. While there, she met Col. Shawn Harris. Ana recently saw Harris at a local coffee shop and invited him to visit her school on Veterans Day.

“This is great. The kids are taking time to learn more about the military and veterans,” said Harris, a 38-year U.S. Army and U.S. Marines veteran who took Ana up on her invitation to attend the meet-and-greet event to connect students with veterans.

Ana, a junior, said last year’s Thanksgiving event inspired her to organize the celebration. “It really opened my eyes about what they have done for our country.”

Student Council members hosted the veterans, including several East Kentwood alumni. They spent the time eating cake and talking to students about the armed forces and their experiences.

“I thought this could be a way for East Kentwood and our community to show our appreciation for our veterans,” Ana said. “We wanted to get the community together and have a common interest, talk to each other, communicate, get students involved and aware of what the veterans have done for us.”

Isaiah Guyton tries on a bulletproof vest with auxiliary member Jan Rosochacki

Wyoming

Local veterans from VFW Post 702 and Auxiliary, Wyoming-Grandville, shared artifacts and authentic military gear with curious West Elementary students.

While checking out maps, photos and memorabilia from U.S. wars, students listened to the retired vets talk about their time in the service. Every Veterans Day, the VFW post chooses to visit a Wyoming or Grandville school, bringing American flags and bookmarks for every student.

“The kids get a big kick out of seeing and feeling the artifacts,” said veteran Ron Oakes, who served in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Grandville Middle School eighth-grader Tucker Legate shared a photograph of his grandfather, Charles Keller, who served stateside in the U.S. Navy during World War II

Grandville Middle School seventh-grader Joslyn VanderHart asked her grandmother to share the Herrick family photograph collection, including newspaper articles of those lost at sea, one who died while missing in Germany, and female veterans

A member of the Grandville Middle School student council adorns the Veterans Day display with patriotic emblems

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Erin Albanese has worked as a journalist in the Grand Rapids area since 2000. A graduate of Central Michigan University, she has written for The Grand Rapids Press, Advance Newspapers and On-the-Town Magazine. She has been covering the many exciting facets of K-12 public education for School News Network since 2013.
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